Arouse Me Painting

Roy Peterson is as refreshing and spirited as his paintings.

Born in Kinston, North Carolina, Roy developed his early interest in structural art forms by working with ceramics, sculpture and painting. His artistic talent was recognised when he was awarded a distinction for his ceramic work at a major Florida arts festival. His keen sense of form and colour was instantly recognised by Carol Petalas, a local artist, who hired him to help with the Street of Dreams project, designing and painting extravagant murals in the multi-million dollar homes of the rich and famous. Since moving to the UK he has enjoyed considerable acclaim having become a stable artist of the Bigger Picture Gallery in Crystal Palace, South London.

Some of Roys paintings still begin with those early representational ideas, but most veer steadily into the abstract as he blurs or completely smothers specific areas of the imagery, constructing multiple layers of his chosen materials, including acrylics. During this process his work becomes an amalgamation of spontaneous and reactive gestures as he adds and removes certain elements to focus the viewers eye and emotions.

Roy further challenges convention by opting not to paint on an upright canvas, but preferring a flat surface, which provides the freedom to experiment and create tensions and harmony between the viscosity and rigidity of his materials.

In the summer of 2001 Roy moved from California to England with his partner and dog. He now splits his time between working for a major UK charity and developing his paintings in his South London studio working on projects with Maverick Art.